note: inspired by "let it burn" by red.
note2: lots of thanks&love&love to nicole, christie, jenny, fran, stover, & sonya. /heartttt
note3: they have "Team Seven" now as a character option. c=
disclaimer: that song and naruto are not mine.

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DREAMS LIKE ASHES—
slowly, they'll float away forever

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Team Seven was destined to fall apart from the very beginning. Really, what were they

thinking when they put together an isolated prodigy, an idiotic demon-holder, and an

intellectual lover (and with a perverted sensei, to boot)? Wouldn't the ones choosing all of

the teams have some sort of idea what would happen?

Uchiha Sasuke left behind his home, his friends.

Uzumaki Naruto left behind his decadence, his adolescence.

Haruno Sakura left behind her weakness, her heart.

And everyone could see it, and everyone knew. They were cracking, and it wasn't exactly his

fault, but it wasn't exactly not his fault.

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Sakura, she was always there.

Naruto, he came home.

Sasuke, he didn't.

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Still, the former two's hearts clenched and felt the same pain—all as if it were yesterday.

To them, it was, it really was. Every conscious moment, they thought of his betrayal. Every

conscious moment, they thought of his defection. Every conscious moment, they thought of

the rare times that he smiled. Every conscious moment, they thought of how he was there—

how they had become a family.

Before, when they were still Team Seven, they always conjured up crazy ideas and dreams.

Naruto would be Hokage. Sasuke would have his family avenged. Sakura would end up

marrying one of them. Everyone could notice that then. Everyone could notice the few

moments of happiness that they had. But it seemed, for them, happy moments were

fleeting—they weren't supposed to last.

Now—

and for how long, Sasuke?

—the two left behind wait. They watch their village, their minds, their very own selves, burn.

Everything around them is suffocating by the inferno of the past's mistakes. The youngest

Uchiha's defect was only the gas to those very flames. And the fire doesn't seem like it's

going to tame anytime soon.

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The dreams they all had, like ashes, floated away.

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When Team Seven joined, someone took a match and threw it in a pile of wet, green grass.

Each passing day, the grass would become more and more dry. Eventually, when Sasuke

absconded, the fire caught and he placed a canister of gasoline by it. The flames would grow

and grow, until ultimately, they would touch the container and feed the fire even more. And

try to kill the once green, healthy grass.

Sasuke was also like the wind, allowing the fire to oxygenate more so. Unfortunately, the

windstorm he had created never left, their dreams that burnt and burnt and burnt turned to

ash—and the avenger blew them away with his gust of air.

The Jinchuuriki and Hokage's apprentice were left broken and blistering—each day became

harder to breathe. Where was he when their hearts were bleeding? Where was he when it all

crashed down? Sasuke was simply nowhere… but…

"Where are you now, Sasuke-kun?" she would wonder aloud sometimes. And sometimes

she would think for a moment that she'd get an answer. However, the young woman never

would, no matter how much she prayed. God didn't seem to be ready for them to be a family

again.

Sakura would never forget. "That day, he taught me that solitude is painful. I understand

that so well right now. I have family, and I have friends but if he's gone… To me… it would

be the same as being alone." She had been alone long enough. But it didn't matter how

much she would cry, how much she would scream, how much she would pray… it was always

the dreadful same.

Naruto would never give up. "Sakura-chan, it doesn't have anything to do with the promise

I made to you. I want to help Sasuke." It would be his downfall of sorts. He was simply too

resolute. But was his determination all for nothing?

And maybe things would never be okay. Maybe they would always keep burning, burning,

burning—but so would the fire in their eyes. The pretty, pink girl and the apricot, angel boy

would always be there.

While Sasuke ran, they stayed.

While Sasuke killed, they mended.

While Sasuke burned… they burned, too.

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They were all just waiting for it to burn down. Because all they wanted to see was the end.

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"Fights aren't decided 'til the very end, and we're just getting started!" –Uzumaki Naruto

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fin